Aemetis to supply 90 million gallons of SAF to Japan Airlines

Aemetis Inc., a renewable fuels company focused on negative carbon intensity products, announced today that an offtake agreement has been signed with Japan Airlines (JAL) for 90 million gallons of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to be delivered over the seven year term of the agreement.

Sustainable aviation fuel provides significant environmental benefits compared to petroleum jet fuel, including a lower lifecycle carbon footprint and reduced contrails. The blended sustainable aviation fuel to be supplied under this agreement is 40 percent SAF and 60 percent petroleum jet A to meet international blending standards.

This supply agreement with Aemetis builds on JAL’s expanding effort for a future of net zero emission by 2050, plans to replace 1 percent of its conventional jet fuel consumption with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2025, and 10 percent by 2030. The agreement also underlines the oneworld Alliance’s commitment to collectively source SAF, of which JAL is a member.  Japan Airlines is one of Japan’s largest international airlines as of 2021. JAL operates more than 200 aircraft delivering more than 40 million passengers and approximately 500,000 tons of cargo globally.

The sustainable aviation fuel is expected to be produced by the Aemetis renewable jet/diesel plant under development on a 125-acre former U.S. Army ammunition production plant site in Riverbank, California. The blended sustainable aviation fuel is scheduled to begin deliveries to JAL in 2025.

“The use of sustainable aviation fuel by Japan Airlines is another step by the oneworld Alliance toward lowering the environmental impact of aviation,” stated Eric McAfee, chairman and CEO of Aemetis. “Our supply of SAF to the San Francisco International Airport is supported by the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard, creating new investment and jobs in disadvantaged minority communities in the state.”

Powered by 100 percent renewable electricity, the Aemetis Carbon Zero production plant design utilizes cellulosic hydrogen made from carbon negative waste wood from orchards and forests. The below zero carbon intensity, cellulosic hydrogen from waste wood is used to hydrotreat vegetable and other renewable oils to produce renewable aviation and diesel fuel.

To further reduce carbon intensity, the Aemetis Carbon Zero design includes capturing CO₂ from the production plant and injecting the compressed CO2 into a sequestration well at the Riverbank site.  The project is designed to permanently store an estimated 200,000 metric tons of CO2 each year from the plant.